Mass and capacity - Temperature activity - Presentation

In a series of engaging activities focused on mass and capacity, students delve into the concept of temperature. The lesson prompts them to explore what temperature is and how it can be described using words such as 'hot', 'cold', 'boiling', 'warm', 'Celsius', and 'freezing'. They are encouraged to discuss and become familiar with the term 'Celsius', a unit for measuring temperature in degrees, which is crucial for understanding how hot or cold something is. For instance, water boils at 100°C, which is the temperature one might use to make a cup of tea, while it freezes at 0°C, the point at which ice lollies are made from water. The lesson also raises questions about the normal temperature range for the human body, prompting students to think about everyday applications of temperature measurements.

The educational journey continues as students investigate the tools used to measure temperature, such as garden thermometers for outdoor conditions, medical thermometers for checking body temperature, especially when feeling unwell, and highly accurate digital thermometers for precise measurements. They are shown how to read different temperatures on thermometers and are challenged to measure temperature in various locations, like by a window or inside a fridge, and to compare these readings from the coldest to the hottest. Through reasoning exercises, students analyse temperature data, like the daily recordings from Esin's garden, to draw conclusions about weather patterns and temperature variations. They are encouraged to think critically about the data, for instance, by determining which week had more sunshine based on the temperature readings and calculating the temperature differences between days.